VIENNA, VIRGINIA - - From a financial perspective, your new league’s equipment manager will hold one of the most important positions in the organization.
Good equipment reconditioning and purchasing skills are vital for any successful youth football program. For most organizations, equipment purchasing commands most of a league’s funds. Therefore, it is important for the league to have an equipment purchasing and tracking plan.
Many equipment companies offer documentation and tracking programs. USA Football suggests that all leagues assign an equipment manager to work with equipment companies, while also maintaining an inventory tracking guide to insure proper purchasing and reconditioning of all equipment.
Equipment reconditioning includes annual cleaning, sanitizing and inspection.
Remember that inspection of helmets is very critical, as they have a limited life and need to be inspected by an authorized NOSCAE inspection company at least once every four years.
Developing a reconditioning program ensures safety, but also saves on the costs of replacements, as reconditioning costs about half of a new purchase. Remember to store equipment in a temperature-controlled storage facility, as severe cold is the biggest cause of failure of the plastic shells in helmets.
Purchasing the right amount of equipment is essential for startup leagues, as overspending can set an organization back for years. To help you through this process it is important to know the sizes of equipment.
Knowing the amount of each size of equipment to purchase can be projected based on early registration feedback. USA Football research shows that leagues receive roughly 60 percent of their registration during the initial (early) registration period.
It is important to conduct registration three to four times. Based on these projections, a league can order in bulk, saving the league money. Projections also show that late (final) registration accounts for approximately 10 percent of registrants.
It is strongly encouraged that leagues write into policy guidelines for late arrivals (youth players who moved into the community are final signups).
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Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.